So much promise, yet so much of a let down....
What we got though was far away from even the initial PS2 release of GTA 3 Liberty City and more closer to a rushed game that focused more on the environments and little on the actual game play and physics.
It starts exciting enough, jumping from a plane, free-falling to a target zone to get straight into the action, and from this point onwards I was left feeling a little but bemused. The AI proved to be potentially one of the best examples of rubbish AI. It doesn't get better in any mode of play.
The physics were perhaps slightly worse than the AI in that they were near on non-existent. This was apparent the minute you start playing, your first shoots of your beefy gun lift the victim into the air as if they are sitting on a quick release pogo stick........a one off??? nope every character that you shoot, and no matter where you shoot them, be it head, leg foot etc. they will hop in the air.
This really took the fun out of the play within maybe 5 minutes of play. How much fun can you possible have when each gun battle plays out like some sort of jump and drop battle, very little that is for sure. The vehicles proved to be more hassle than they are worth. I won't dwell, but it was bad. What was good however was the grapple gun, a neat idea, shoot it at a moving vehicle and hey presto your being pulled along like a para-glider, and this grapple function is what I believe actually sold copies of this game.
The mission are tediously similar and lose appeal after a few goes, so instead you will no doubt find yourself trying to find cool new stuff like you could in GTA, into the wilderness and you find a Monster Truck.....but nope, not with Just Cause, just endless wandering in nothingness. I thought maybe a patch would of been released to fix at least the jumping victims, maybe that would make it feel more accessible, but no, what you buy is what you get and what you get is not very good.
The graphics however are not to bad, lush environments, nice character models etc, but without depth and game play these all mean nothing. It may have some appeal to younger gamers but for anyone that has played GTA or anyone that just plain enjoys gaming with depth then this should be avoided.